Former Gov. Edwin Edwards waiting to learn if his sentence will be commuted

The Times-PicayuneFormer Gov. David Treen is pushing for President Bush to commute the federal sentence of former Gov. Edwin Edwards. Bush has until Jan. 20 to consider pardon or commutation requests

Former Gov. Edwin Edwards and former Insurance Commissioner Jim Brown are among the more than 2,000 people convicted of federal crimes awaiting word on whether President Bush will give them a pardon or commute their sentences during his final months in office.

Edwards, who turns 81 on Aug. 7, will be eligible for release from the Federal Detention Center in Oakdale on July 6, 2011. He's serving a 10-year sentence for corrupting the state's riverboat casino licensing process.

"I'm hopeful," said former Gov. David Treen, who joined former U.S. Sen. J. Bennett Johnston in filing the request on Edwards' behalf in 2007 and has argued that there is no rational basis for keeping Edwards in prison any longer.

Brown, 68, who was convicted in 2000 and served six months for lying to the FBI during an investigation of a failed insurance company, said he filed the pardon application himself several months ago.

"I've determined to go down every route I could to not only look for vindication but just to put the troubling time I had with the federal government behind me, and the pardon is just one more avenue," said Brown, who hosts a radio talk show and writes a political column for some Louisiana newspapers.

Brown said he doesn't know what his chances of success are. Unlike in the Edwards case, where Treen and Johnston are asking that the remainder of Edwards' sentence be commuted, Brown, who has completed his sentence, is asking that he be pardoned. A pardon would forgive him for his crime, and allow him to escape certain civil penalties that come with a felony conviction, such as denying him the right to vote or to carry a firearm.

"I just put the application in myself. I didn't hire any lobbyists," Brown said. "I know that a lot of people make the request and very few are given. But I feel what happened to me was wrong, and any step I can take to move beyond what happened to me I'm going to pursue."

The requests are reviewed by a six-person office at the Department of Justice. The president isn't required to follow the recommendations.

The New York Times reported Sunday that about 2,300 requests for pardons or clemency are pending before Bush, who leaves office Jan. 20. Among those making the request for pardons or commutations are convicted former U.S. Rep. Randall "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif.; former Olympic sprinter and gold medalist Marion Jones, who is serving six months for lying to federal investigators about her use of performance-enhancing drugs; and the so-called American Taliban, John Walker Lindh.

Bush has used his clemency power sparingly, granting 157 pardons and six commutations. By contrast, President Reagan issued 393 pardons and 13 commutations in his eight years. President Clinton issued 396 pardons and 61 commutations, more than half during his last three months in office.

Among the most controversial were President Bush's commutation for Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, after Libby's conviction last year of lying to federal investigators and Clinton's last-minute pardon of convicted international financier Mark Rich, whose wife was a major campaign donor.

U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said that he was asked months ago for his recommendations on the Edwards commutation request and he submitted the paperwork to the Justice Department. He said he submitted information about the case, but would not disclose his advice to the Justice Department, saying it would be inappropriate to discuss it.

Treen, the former Republican governor who often tangled with Democrat Edwards but has been championing the case that his 10-year sentence was "too severe," said that he last talked to the White House counsel's office about three weeks ago and was told the investigation was proceeding into the merits of a sentence commutation. He said he plans to make another call to the White House counsel's office today.

Article 2, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution gives the president the power to grant reprieves for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.

For people who want to comment to the White House about a commutation or pardon request, or any other matter, the e-mail address is comments@whitehouse.gov.

Bruce Alpert can be reached at bruce.alpert@newhouse.com or 202.383.7861.